We received the product for review and all opinions are our own.
A classic in the Texas Hill Country, Texas Hills Vineyard has been in the winemaking game since they first opened their doors in 1999. Several other wineries have utilized the cellar space at Texas Hills to get their start, so it is safe to say the Gilstrap family is very community oriented. They produce an array of wines ranging from dry whites and reds, as well as sweet wines and port style wines. They have become pretty well known for their Kick Butt Cab, so I decided it was time Texas Wine Lover did a formal review of said wine, and here it is.
There were two Kick Butt Cabs to choose from in the tasting room, so I tasted them both and picked the Estate bottling rather than the Newsom bottling. Once the cork is evicted from the neck of the bottle, the wine pours a garnet color with a slightly lighter garnet rim. The aromatics dance in the air with a distinct dominance of blueberries, red cherries, and a hint of leather. The palate is very similar minus the leather component. This wine is clean and balanced on the palate and drinks very smoothly.
There is something I cannot avoid discussing here as it is a frustrating thing for me regarding Texas wines. I find this bottle of wine to be a “typical” Texas Cabernet Sauvignon, meaning it is very soft and lacks high extraction and body. Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape noted for dark color, high tannins, and big bold-black fruit flavors, which this wine lacks in all three departments. This is nothing against the winery or winemaker as I consider them friends in the industry, but there are only three Texas Cabs for me that have ever lived up to what I feel Cab should be, and this bottle will not increase that list to four sadly. I can easily see why this wine is so popular amongst Texas wine consumers as it is a very easy drinking wine, but it is another example of Texas Cab Sauv not holding up to the traditional qualities of the grape.
Specifications:
- Texas Hills Vineyard Kick Butt Cab, Estate bottling, 2012 vintage
- Winemaker: Gary Gilstrap
- Appellation: Texas Hill Country AVA, Estate Vineyard – Johnson City, TX
- Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Barrels: N/A
- Clarity/brightness: Clear bright with no detectable flaws and no evidence of gas or sediment
- Tannins: Medium minus
- Acidity: Medium
- Alcohol: Medium
- Finish: Medium
- Alcohol by volume: 13.8%
Final thoughts; Aside from my personal opinions of Texas Cabernet in general and this bottle in particular, the Kick Butt Cab is a real crowd pleaser for those looking for a wine that sips well. Although this wine lacks a full bodied presence and complexity, I find it to be a straightforward patio red that would complement a plate of Brie and crackers.
Sip, savor, and enjoy my fellow aficionados.
Jeremy, I generally agree with your observation that Texas Cabernet Sauvignons are most definitely not California cabs. I grow and make cabernet sauvignon in Bell County, Central Texas and I don’t think it is the best choice for this area since it struggles to ripen in August in quite high temperatures. I try to prune early, but it stubbornly stays asleep the longest–which is a good thing if we have a late freeze. But back to the central problem. Should Texans NOT label a cab a cab since it doesn’t live up to the expectation of a California cab lover?… Read more »
Hi June, thank you for your comment and you bring to light a few very valid discussion points. Firstly, thank you for being part of the industry and putting your effort into making Texas wine! Regarding Cabernet Sauvignon in Texas, I never mentioned CA Cab as a comparison, as you and I both know the structural differences could not be more on the opposite ends of the spectrum. It is not a fair comparison by any stretch of the imagination. My outlook on ‘most’ Texas Cabs is that they simply don’t live up to the structural integrity the grape is… Read more »
Sorry have you had much California based Cabernet Sauvignons? I’ve had to drink through several bottles just to find ONE that has a decent body and finish, only to find I have to spend over fifty dollars for that vintage. We are talking about several thousand acres in comparison to just a few thousand plantings, our numbers don’t look that awful. We are finally discovering that this grape grows better in the high plains, that is that, it doesn’t mean that we won’t find anything by mere chance :). Texas is a state that is still playing catch up, trial… Read more »
Hi Alex, thank you for your reply! I have tasted a large amount of California Cabernet Sauvignon and in my opinion, it is one of the finest places on earth to grow the grape. I am sorry it took so many bottles for you to find a Cab you felt had decent body and finish. I would suggest talking with a local Sommelier to hand pick several bottles of CA Cab for you that are well under $50.00 that are of extreme quality. A few recommendations from me would be Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, Justin Cabernet Sauvignon and Alexander Valley… Read more »
Definitely! Well I have several California Cabs favs that I’ve been able find even under $20, with a great body and finish, but like I mentioned previously it take a wine junky to go through and hunt and peck through from a large stack. My favorites are all California Cabs that are above the $100 price range, but this goes without sayng and I feel is an unfair when I hear people compare these level wines to Texas, especially for wines we price below the $30 price range. Yes I do agree that our climate is hard to deal with,… Read more »